LONDON — The London 2012 Festival, a cultural celebration across Britain to coincide with the Olympics, will open on Thursday with the spectacular — a fireworks display by Lake Windermere — and the bizarre — a life-size inflatable replica of Stonehenge.

The festival, which runs through Sept. 9, is the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad. Organizers promise 10 million free tickets for people to experience dance, theater, art, music and more.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he hoped to raise awareness about the thousands of events happening nationwide to build excitement for the July 27 through Aug. 12 Olympic Games.

He said the festival, which cost about $86 million to organize, was a chance to showcase Britain’s cultural heritage.

“Not just in 2012, but every year we have the best culture in the world in this country, and this is our big opportunity to bang the drum.”

To mark the opening of the festival, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in an open-air concert set against the backdrop of Scotland’s Stirling Castle.

Also on Thursday, French pyrotechnic company Les Commandos Percu will stage a fireworks show on the shores of Lake Windermere in northwestern England to coincide with the Olympic Torch Relay.

Among the more bizarre events launching the festival will be artist Jeremy Deller’s life-size replica of Stonehenge called Sacrilege.

Part artwork, part bouncy castle, it will “pop up” at the National Botanical Gardens at Carmarthen in Wales and then go on a tour of the United Kingdom.

Peace One Day, an organization dedicated to the idea of one day a year free of conflict, is staging a concert in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace art installation will be unveiled on London 2012 screens.

One of the biggest events of the opening week will be Hackney Weekend, sponsored by the publicly funded BBC Radio 1, a free live music event across six stages. More than 100 artists are scheduled to appear, including Jay-Z, Rihanna and Jessie J. About 100,000 people are expected.

In other Olympics news, a new cable car will soar over the Thames River starting next week, promising to become part of the London landscape ahead of the games.

Britain’s first urban cable car will open June 28, in time for the massive crowds expected for the Olympics. It is called the Emirates Air Line, after the air carrier invested $56 million as part of a 10-year sponsorship deal.

The cable car will make the half-mile crossing between Greenwich and the Royal Docks, allowing visitors to take in views of Olympic Park and other nearby landmarks.